Arsenal fan stabbed in Rome.

reder · 12/03/2009, 12:58 PM

An Arsenal football fan suffered a suspected stab wound when the minibus he was on was ambushed ahead of the club's Champions League tie in Rome.

The bus was attacked by Roma fans after the driver became lost near the Olympic Stadium, the British Embassy said.

The victim was treated inside the stadium for a cut to his leg.

Prior to the match, English fans had been advised to avoid areas where Roma's hooligan following, the Ultras, are known to congregate.

An Arsenal spokeswoman said: "A male Arsenal fan was believed to be stabbed outside the stadium.

"Roma fans threw stones at a bus, smashing windows, and an individual allegedly entered the bus and stabbed a fan."

Penalty win

A British Embassy spokesman said: "This bus got a bit lost around the stadium and some Roma fans tried to get on the bus.

"One managed to get on to the bus and there was a fight.
"The driver managed to get away when the Roma fan was pushed out of the bus."

He added: "We don't know if (the injury) was a stabbing or glass from a smashed window."

Roma won the match 1-0, cancelling out Arsenal's 1-0 win in the first leg, but the London club won a penalty shoot-out 7-6 to book a place in the quarter finals.

Yet again, an English fan is stabbed in Rome. UEFA wont take action because this has taken place outside the ground. I fear the worst if there are 2 english teams in the final in Rome. Even one team could see serious bother.

**Closed Account 2** · 12/03/2009, 1:16 PM

It's bad news, but these savages have nothing to do with genuine football fans and genuine Italian people, who are amongst the nicest people you could ever have the pleasure to meet.

Sadly there is, nowadays, a small mob-element of youth who attach themselves to certain clubs in Italy. It's usually not that big or noticable, but you do see the occasional bit of trouble at Italian matches (it's usually only the regional derbies, Siciliy or Napoli v a club from Rome, or the Rome derby). Sometimes it also happens when a big team is the away team.

In terms of the Champions League I think there won't be too much trouble if there are English clubs in the final. Roma are out now so there won't be big aggrivation. While there were very bad incidents this season in Rome with Chelsea and Arsenal (last night), the scale of them was not that big compared to previous years. I think if Manchester United get to the final there could be big problems. There is a lot of aggravation between Roma and Man Utd after the last few seasons, and I think Roma fans might want to cause trouble for them even if Roma aren't playing. Also Man Utd fans have caused trouble away from home in the last few seasons (I think there were bad scenes at Lille a year or two ago).

**osarusan** · 12/03/2009, 1:34 PM

He added: "We don't know if (the injury) was a stabbing or glass from a smashed window."

So it may not actually have been a stabbing.

**Sligo Hornet** · 12/03/2009, 2:46 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

So it may not actually have been a stabbing.

But he didn't cut himself shaving either!

**John83** · 12/03/2009, 4:07 PM

I guess a "suspected stab wound" is better than the definitive stab wounds that a couple of Leeds fans got in Turkey a few years back, or the wounds a couple of dozen Man Utd fans have had there over the last few years.

**sligoman** · 12/03/2009, 4:57 PM

Originally Posted by reder

Yet again, an English fan is stabbed in Rome. UEFA wont take action because this has taken place outside the ground. I fear the worst if there are 2 english teams in the final in Rome. Even one team could see serious bother.

Source for the article?